Wide area surveillance is defined here as the ability to detect a threat anywhere over a wide geographical area such as a large city, a county, a State or even an entire country. Since the attacks of Sep. 11, 2001 in the United States, this issue has become critical for countries that are concerned with broad and indiscriminate large-scale terrorist threats. Of particular concern is the threat of “dirty bombs” that could contaminate broad geographical areas and have very serious negative economic consequences for an entire country. Equally the threat of a biological attack with agents such as anthrax has become a serious national and international concern. Personal threat is defined here as any chemical, biological or radiological hazard that can threaten the health or the life of an individual.
A number of different detector technologies are currently commercially available or in the process of being developed to detect chemical, biological or radiological hazards. However these technologies are generally limited in their detection capabilities to small or immediate vicinity areas. Because of the diffusion effects, particularly for chemical or biological releases, point detection technologies can only be effective if the hazard or threat comes in close proximity to the sensor or detector itself. Such instances occur for example for baggage screening technologies used at airports where individual pieces of luggage are mechanically brought in very close proximity to the detectors. A few emerging technologies such as Berkeley Nucleonics' Smart Area Monitor (SAM) for radiation or some types of laser-based detectors for chemicals allow more remote detection (usually within a few tens of feet away from a source) but these technologies rely on very sensitive sensors that also require complex and expensive electronics.
Current detectors for chemical, radiological or biological hazards are not well suited either individually or in combination for wide area surveillance simply because the cost of deploying and networking such detectors over large geographical areas would make the cost of an effective nationwide detection blanket completely unfeasible. Additionally the chance of missing a terrorist threat such as a “dirty bomb” would be very high because the probability of having a detector or a partial sensor network in the right place and at the right time would be very low. Furthermore when single point detectors are used a single detection event might be considered as a false positive and therefore be ignored.
The US White House Office of Homeland Security has recognized this problem and has correctly pointed out in its National Strategy for Homeland Security (July 2002) that effective wide area surveillance in a large country like the United States can only be accomplished with the broad participation of the public. However no clear implementation plan or technology solution has yet been proposed or developed. Public participation is key to the success of a Homeland Security initiative and several recent examples in the United States and in other countries like Israel show how leads provided by the public can help solve or prevent terrorist events.
A number of technical solutions have been proposed for remote monitoring. U.S. Pat. No. 6,100,806 to Gaukel discloses a GPS based geo-location device comprising a remote tracking database, a means for communication and a body worn device for the purpose of tracking individuals, and particularly parolees. The Gaukel system must use the GPS system, a wristband sensor unit and a separate “cellular bag”. Furthermore the system disclosed by Gaukel must rely on periodic monitoring at predetermined intervals using a database manager and continuous two-way use of a mobile phone implying high overall monitoring costs.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,235,318 to Schulez describes a personal radiation dosimeter with built-in communication capabilities for the automatic monitoring of people entering or leaving certain areas or zones. The Schulez system allows remote surveillance by a computer link but requires a specific reader system to be installed in each of the areas that are monitored.
U.S. Pat. No. US2002/0003470 A1 to Auerbach describes a system for the geolocation of gunshots. The Auerbach patent describes a network of sensors to detect and geo-locate gunshots and signatures thereof using GPS and triangulation methods.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,282,410 B1 to Monsen, III et al. describes a system for the remote monitoring of workers in hazardous environments. The Monsen system is a complete system including radiation and video monitoring and is specifically tailored to certain types of remote worker monitoring situations.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,798,458 to Monroe describes an acoustic sensor system for the detection of threats including terrorist threats to aircrafts.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,339,339 to Petitclerc et al. describes a process to carry out an inspection or monitoring around a nuclear site.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,238,337 B1 to Kambhatla et al. describes a method to detect an emerging illness using embedded sensors in different devices to detect the onset of a disease in an individual or the general population.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,132,968 to Cephus describes a network of sensors and method to connect with said sensors to gather environmental information remotely.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,396,416 B1 to Kuusela et al. describes a mobile phone with a plug in module for medical monitoring purposes. The technology described by Kuusela focuses on ECG, EEG and EMG functions that are measurable at close range remotely using specialized sensor modules.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,023,223 to Baxter, Jr. describes an early warning system with remote sensors for measuring environmental conditions.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,031,454 issued Feb. 29, 2002, entitled “Worker-Specific Exposure Monitor and Method for Surveillance of Workers” to Michael L. Lovejoy, John P. Peeters and A. Wayne Johnson, is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,031,454 to Lovejoy et al. describes a method for a worker-specific exposure monitor with remote geo-location and communication capabilities and a swappable sensor module. The patent by Lovejoy et al. describes a means to geolocate workers using land-based triangulation methods, provides for two-way communication and provides a means to determine any type of exposure using a swappable micro or nanosensor module. The patent also describes person-specific genomic applications for the technology.
In addition to these cited patent references the following scientific literature is cited for reference for this invention:
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D. Hausmann et al. Rapid Vapor Deposition of Highly Conformal Silica Nanolaminates. Science. VOL 298. Pages 402–406. 11 Oct. 2002.
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The present technology presents a new, completely integrated, flexible and cost effective solution to build upon and complement existing detection technologies, networks and systems and specifically will help fill in the current detection gaps to make wide area threat surveillance possible by enhancing existing electronic and security infrastructures. Specifically the technology described here provides a means to place a new type of highly flexible, modular, low cost detector technology everywhere within a given country and principally where the threats will be the greatest that is within the most highly populated areas. The technology also allows individuals to self-monitor and self protect themselves from external hazards and threats.
The technology is possible by using new advanced sensor technologies that are described herein and that form an integral part of this invention.